Praise for Given as Magpies finally find top gear

Newcastle 5 NAC Breda 0

The 70-year-old, who along with his players has come under pressure in recent weeks, looked on last night as Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert rediscovered their dazzling best to inspire United to a 5-0 victory which makes the second leg in Holland in three weeks' time almost a formality.

It was the Magpies' first home win of the season, and Robson was thrilled with the manner in which it arrived.

"It was obviously a very important win and we were back to something like our best that you saw many times last season," he said.

"I always felt we had the ability to do that. It was always a question of time, patience and support and we'd be okay. It was important that we finally won in front of our home public, and to score goals.

"But the important thing in the first half, for me, was Shay Given, who made two wonderful saves. At half-time, we went in 2-0 and it could have been 2-2.

"Shay made two very, very good saves, but in the second half, obviously, we subdued them, submerged them really, and then when the third goal went in, it was very difficult for them.

"They kept chugging away, but with respect to them, we probably had too much on the pitch for them overall. They had some good players, but it was a difficult night for them.

"We've all been under pressure. We needed to win and we needed to win well, and we've done it. It can only do us a power of good."

Bellamy, who had scored just one goal in his previous 20 games for the club, weighed in with two inside six first-half minutes, first deftly lobbing keeper Gabor Babos after being put in by skipper Alan Shearer and then finishing off a superb move engineered by Kieron Dyer and Robert.

Given's heroics denied first Johan Elmander and then Tamas Peto in the minutes immediately before the break, but further goals from Titus Bramble, Shearer and substitute Darren Ambrose completed the rout.

"It's not over because we have to go over there and play, so it can't be," said Robson. "But it would be a catastrophe if we lost 6-0."

United will now head for Arsenal tomorrow night hoping that they can finally bring an end to their search for a first Premiership win of the season, although they will do so after suffering a major blow.

Robson learnt as he prepared his troops for their European test that defender Jonathan Woodgate does after all need surgery to repair a double hernia.

The 23-year-old England international returned from an enforced lay off with a stomach muscle injury on Saturday and appeared to suffer no ill-effects, but later complained of new discomfort and after seeing a specialist in Manchester yesterday, will have an operation which will sideline him for up to six weeks on Saturday.

"He's been to see a specialist today and he's going through a hernia operation on Saturday morning," Robson said.

"It's a double hernia operation, actually. They're going to do both sides, so we can forget about him for several weeks, which is a blow to us.

"He played so well on Saturday after not spending too much time on the training ground, but I liked his performance he was a Rolls-Royce, he strolled it.

"But unfortunately yesterday in training, he felt quite a lot of pain in the lower regions, not where he's had the strained stomach muscle."

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, O'Brien, Bramble, Bernard (Viana 84), Jenas, Dyer (Ambrose 78), Speed, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy (Ameobi 83).

NAC: Babos, Feher, Schenning, Penders, Gudelj, Slot (Koning 61), Peto, Stefano Seedorf, Engelaar, Diba (Boussaboun 73), Elmander.

Referee: N Ibanov (Russia).